Thursday, February 21, 2013

10 Things You Didn't Know About Me

I swam from the time I was 12 until I was 18.

Holla to all my fellow swim team members out there! I grew up in a pool during the summer and was on the Flamingo Swim Team. HARDCORE I KNOW! My events included 100m backstroke and 100m-250m freestyle. You could throw me in a sprinting event like a 50m, but I would fail. I've never been fast at sprinting. I literally think there is a part of my brain missing that makes the connection between I need to sprint, and my body actually doing it. Fun fact: I never go anywhere without my swimsuit and goggles in the summer!

I went to Penn State and always knew I wanted to be a Registered Dietitian.

Hail to the Nittany Lions! I worked my butt off in high school to get accepted to Penn State Main Campus as a freshman. College was by far the best experience in my life (thus far). I knew that I picked the right major when I would hate sitting through all my classes except nutrient metabolism. I just loved figuring out how carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals get processed through our digestive systems...why they give us energy and how to get the most out of food. I also worked my butt off through college to get a Dietetic Internship, which have come to be a very competitive process. I got accepted to my first choice not because I was the smartest, but because I brought life experiences and work experiences that made me stand out from the rest of the crowd. I'm a big believer in hard work getting you to the next level, not just your brain. Because my brain can fail miserably...like on multiple choice tests. YUCK!

I have been dating my boyfriend for almost 4 years.

Yes, I know...4 years is forever! But I couldn't be happier. We live together in Wisconsin where neither of us are from, which has made our bond even stronger. We've been with each other through college and through some tough shit! I don't know what I would do without him. He's my rock.

My brother is a professional golfer.

I know, cool right!!! He's not on the PGA tour, but he's damn good. He's very successful at his job and will someday be the CEO, I just know it.

My mom has survived breast cancer, twice.

Yeah, proud of this one too. My mom is my inspiration. She was first diagnosed when I was 8 and then again when I was 18. I learned a lot about life after her second diagnosis and the challenges that our family faced from that. And I think that's all you can do with bad situations, find the lesson and learn something from it...or else what was the point?

Sometimes I consider myself a runner, sometimes I don't.

Like right now, I don't. But last year at this time I did. I competed in my first half marathon last May and finished in 2 hours 15 minutes. Lately I've been getting the itch to run again....so I may or may not sign up for another race! I've found that races motivate me the most, not the goal of weight loss.

I have a bad addiction...to french fries.

Yes, it's true. And yes, it's a problem. Haha. I LOVE french fries. And I just can't say no. So what I've done frequently over the last year and a half is "give them up" for a certain amount of time. I gave them up for lent last year (40 days SUCCESSFULLY completed). Then, I gave them up before a trip to Las Vegas... I find the all or nothing approach works best for this addiction. And the nothing is better for my health.

I have another bad addiction...to white teeth.

Have you every noticed that all pictures of my coffee have straws? That's why. By drinking coffee through a straw it avoids hitting my front teeth, which avoids the yellowing that happens when you drink 2 cups every morning like myself. I also use Crest Vivid White toothpaste every morning, afternoon and evening on my Sonicare toothbrush. I am very invested in my dental health...plus, when my teeth are white it makes my pasty skin look tanner.

I am nowhere near having my dream job.

I don't mind my job, but I don't love it. I want to interact with people more than I do right now. I'm more of a technical assistant to people rather than a knowledge of nutrition, diet and digestion. I have my hopes that a job will open up within the year that will be closer to my dream job. Helping patients one on one, rather than talking through regulations. But for now, I have a job that pays me well and has great benefits.

If I don't drink at least 60 oz of water a day, I will get a bad headache.

Time and time again this happens. If I don't drink at least 2 of my 32 oz bottles of water at work...I'll be a crank pot in the evening, which is no fun for my boyfriend. I guess I'm just really sensitive to a change in routine and dehydration.